Pneumatic sweeping device.



E. P. STRODE.

PNEUMATIC SWEEPING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNEZO, 1914.

Patented Aug. 1-0, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I- E. STRODE. PNEUMATIC SWEEPING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 20 1914- Patented Aug. 10, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

IIIIIII'IIIII EDWARD P. STRODE, F NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

PNEUMATIC Sf /VE EPING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Eatent.

Patented Aug. 1th, 1315.

t Application filed June 20, 19-14. Serial No. 846,389.

To all i/iliom it may concern,

lie it known that I, Euwnnn P. Srnonn, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Newark, county of Essex,:and State of New Jersey, have made a new and useful Invention in Pneumatic Sweeping Devices, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is directed to the application of pneumatic devices to ordinary brooms and has for its objects, first, to collect or accumulate the dust, lint or other light substances, in the act of sweeping,in a receptacle carried by the broom; second, to prevent undue circulation of dust in the air through the act of sweeping.

The invention will be fully understood by referring to the accompanying drawings, 1n which, V

Figure 1 is an edge elevational view of a common broom with my improvement applied thereto during the act of sweeping. Fig. 2 is a front elevational view ofthe broom in its normal condition, or when not in use, with parts broken away discloslng the interior structure thereof and as seen looking at Fig. 1 from left to right. Fig. 3 is a back elevational view as seen looking at Fig. 1 from right to left. Fig. 1 is an'enlarged sectional view takenthrough the bellows and containing box or chamber which accumulates the dust by pneumatic action. Fig. is an enlarged sectional front elevational view of a part of the bellows and the dust containing box or chamber partly broken away to show the interior construction of the latter. Fig. 6 is an end view of the suction nozzle as seen looking at the lower end of Figs. 2 and 3, upon the supposition that it has been removed from the broom.

Referring now to the drawings and first to Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive, 6 represents the sweeping head of an ordinary broom made of bristles or broom corn and of usual form, and .7b the handle secured to the broom by two levers 2 which are riveted to the handle by rivets 3 and pivotally secured to the head by a ferrule 4 through pivots 5 on each side.

6, 6' is a bellows of well known form, designed to act pneumatically to collect the dust in the dust box during the operation of sweeping, being secured at its upper end by an adjusting screw S to the ferrule 4, and near its center by two or more rivets or screws 8 to the head 6. Near the center of this bellows also is a bearing 7 through nently secured within which the levers 2 slidingly extend, the expansion of said bellows being limited in its movement by two pins p, p in the free or movable ends of the levers 2 and bearing 7, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3.

8 is a flat metal link riveted to the lower end of the outer side 6 of the bellows and I attached to a strong spiral spring 9 which is rigidly secured within the broom, as will be described later on.

10 is a flat flaring suction nozzle permathe broom proper with'its lower or open end relatively near the floor and between the ends of the bristles or broom corn of which the broom is composed. This flaring nozzle has a long narrow suction slot 9 at its lower end (see Fig. 6) and is provided with a tubular extension 11 at its upper end adapted to be inserted within a short flexible tube 13, preferably of rubber, connected in turn to a rigid metal tube 12 having connection with a dust containing box or chamber 14 secured to one face of the broom by the same screwsa, s which secure the inner side of the bellows thereto, or in any preferred manner, the other end of the bellows operating spring 9 being connected in turn to the rigid metal tube 12. c

15, 15 and 17', 17'are openings in opposite sides of the dust containing box or chamber 14, and 16, 18 are two sets of flexible valves made of rubber secured to the outer and inner faces of the bellows in such manner that they alternately close the openings 15, 17 as the broom is operated.

19, 19, 19 are openings on one face of the dust containing box or chamber 14 and 20 (see Figs. 4 and 5) is a piece of cheese cloth or similar material of a mesh to admit of the entrance or airbut not dust or lintinto the interior of the bellows when operating.

21 is a surrounding casing for the dust containing box or chamber which casing is also fixedly secured to the broom-head b by the screws .9, s, the arrangement being such that the box 14 may be slid into and out of the surrounding casing and yield ingly held by spring 22 and a door 23 provided with locking catches 24 and 25.

The operation is as follows: The operator manipulating the broom upon the floor causes the lower end of the bristles or broom corn 6, of which the broom is composed, to assume the position shown in Fig. l and this removes the dust box 14: from the surroundand forth in the act strong tension. This action,

' of the suction nozzle 10 111g action of the spring firmly held in place and secure against any 35;

to remove the same from casing 21.

action in turn, through the pivoted levers 2 and handle it causes the bellows 6' to be opened into its extended position and the bellows operating spring 9 to be put under however, causes the exterior valves 16 to be closed, as shown, and in turn the valves 18 to be opened, by reason of'the rigid connection of the inner portion 6 of the bellows to the broom head, thereby exerting a pneumatic pumping e fect uponthe dust being stirred up by the bristles at the lower end and about the slots and causing it, the dust, to ascend through said nozzle, through the tubes 11 and 12, and'into the'dust containing box or chamber 14 and its surrounding casing 21 (see Fig. 4) said dust and lintultimately settling in the box. WVhen the broomis lifted, however,.the spring '9 acts under tension torestore the bellows to its normal or closed position, closing the valves 18 and opening the valves the air contained in said-bellows to escape by way er, the opening 15 for the valve 16. After the operation of sweepinglasthus. described has been discontinued,-the operator ing casing 21' by releasing the catches '2 l from the catches 25 of the door 23, when the dust contained in said box 1 may be removedand the box again replaced in the osition shown in Fig. 4: under the retain- 22, thus keeping it emission of dust,'except when it is desired the surrounding It will be noted that the tube 13 is sufficiently rigid to maintain-its normal position when the broom is not in use; in other words, it is the function of this tube to allow the suction nozzle 10'to vibrateback, of sweeping, the spring 9' performing the actual action of restoring the bellows to its normal or closed position. It will also be seen that no dust, lint or like light substances will be drawn into the bellows when the valves 18 are opened, as shown in Figs. 1, and 5, because of the fact that the rear slde of the dust contain? ing box or chamber 14 has numerous open corners and other inaccessible places,

purpose and non-analogous scattering of I claim and desire to secure by 16, thus allowing i the broom, "connected with the aforesaid box; a suction the sameand the 7 causing the'bellows to successively draw the air jet when the sweeper desires to blow the dust out of but for an entirely different use, my invention being designated to distinctly avoid the circulation of dust and to collect andst ore the same in a receptacle carried by the broom said invention is when operated, thus preventing the annoybroom, has been de- 'ance' and discomfort attributable to the dust and to sweep without causing any dust to lodge upon any article of furniture in the room.

Having thus described'my invention what 7 Letters Patent of the United States is- .1. In combination a broom comprising a head and a handle pivotally connectedthereto, a suction nozzle located in the lower end making it possible j of the broom, and a dust containing box or chamber operatively, connected with the suc- -tion nozzle, a pneumatic pump connected with the dust box and mechanical connections between the pump and t e handle of the broom to operate the pump for effecting the operation of drawing the dust into the dust containing box or chamber. 7

-2. The combination of a broom with a suction: nozzle having a narrow slot located within the lower end of said broom and a 'dust rcontaining box or chamber carried by the suction nozzle being flexibly bellows and operative connectlons between handle of thebroom for dust into the box as the broom is successi'vely operated.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

EDWARD P. STRODE.

Witnesses:

C. J. KINTNER, M. F. KEATING. 

